Mushroom slicer

ABSTRACT

An endless wire is wound a plurality of times around a pair of spaced parallel drums and two pulleys whose axes are inclined to the axes of the drums. Each drum has in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced grooves for guiding the upper reaches of the wire in closely spaced relation. A third rotary, grooved drum is disposed above the upper reaches of the wire and in operative relation thereto. The mushrooms, which are to be sliced, are fed, their stems parallel to the upper reaches of the wire, into the nip between said upper reaches, and the third drum. The third drum forces an advancing mushroom downwardly through the upper wire reaches slicing mushrooms simultaneously into a plurality of slices of uniform thickness.

1 51 May 23,1972

United States Patent Meyer MUSHROOM SLICER 72 Inventor: Richard E. Moyer, 2815 Baird Road, Fairp'mary Abe'cmmb'e port, NY. 14450 Jan.7,1971

Attomey--Shlesinger, Fitzsimmons 8L Shlesinger [57] ABSTRACT An endless wire is wound a plurality of times around a pair of [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.:

spaced parallel drums and two pulleys whose axes are inclined to the axes of the drums. Each drum has in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced grooves for guiding the upper reaches of the wire in closely spaced relation. A third rotary, grooved drum is disposed above the upper reaches of the wire and in operative relation thereto. The mushrooms, which are to be sliced, are fed, their stems parallel to the upper reaches of the wire, into the nip between said upper reaches, and the third drum. The third drum forces an advancing mushroom downwardly through the upper wire reaches slicing mushrooms simultaneously into a plurality of slices of uniform thickness.

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PATENTEDHAY 2 3 I972 SHEET 1 [IF INVENTOR. RICHARD E. MOYER ATTORNEY! FIG?) PATENTEUMAY 23 1972 3, 664,398

SHEET 3 [IF 3 F|G.5 I

. v INVENTOR. RICHARD E. MOYER 142' Q I 52" ATTORNEY MUSHROOM SLICER This invention relates to slicing machines, and more particularlv to a machine for slicing mushrooms, and similar products.

Although canned mushrooms are presently available in whole, chopped or sliced forms, heretofore there has been no practical machine for slicing them, and particularly for cutting them into slices of uniform thickness.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a machine for automaticallv slicing mushrooms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for this purpose which will cut mushrooms into slices of uniform thickness.

To this end, a further object of the invention is to provide a machine for slicing mushrooms parallel withthe axes of their stems.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mushroom slicing machine which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a slicing machine of the type described,.which is capable of accurately slicing extremely large quantities of mushrooms in a relatively short period of time.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a mushroom slicing machine made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, portions of the machine being broken away and shown in section, and portions of the associated mushroom feed conveyor being illustrated fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is an end view of this machine looking at the right end thereof, portions again being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

F IG. 4 is a detail view illustrating fragmentarily and partially in axial section one of the drums employed in this machine; and

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating how a mushroom is sliced on this machine.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, denotes generallythe base of the slicing machine, here shown as an open frame comprising a base plate 12, legs 13, longitudinally extending side rails 15, which connect the upper ends of legs 13, and transversely extending struts 17 which extend crosswise between pairs of legs.

Fastened beneath one of the side rails is a motor-speed reducer unit 20 (FIG. 1) to whose drive shaft 21 is secured a pinion 22 that meshes with and drives a gear 23 secured to a shaft 24. Shaft 24 is journaled at one end in a trunnion 25, which is fastened beneath one of the side rails 15. Secured to shaft 24 to rotate therewith and to be driven thereby is a wire advancing drum 40.

A pulley 32, which is secured to the outer end of the shaft 21 exteriorly of the reducer unit 20, is connected by a belt 27 to a pulley 34, which is secured to one end of a shaft 35 that is journaled for rotation above and parallel to the shaft 24 in trunnions 36, which are fastened on the upper surfaces of the side rails 15.

Fastened to the shaft 29, which is journaled in trunions 30 parallel to shaft 24 adjacent the opposite end of the machine, is a drum 41 which may be drivingly connected to drum 40. In its periphery each of the drums 40 and 41 has a plurality of wire-guiding grooves 43 (FIG. 2), which are equi-spaced axially of one another.

Mounted on the shaft 35 for rotation thereby above and parallel to the drums 40 and 41 is a third drum 45, which, as in the case of the drums 40 and 41, has in its periphery a plurality of grooves or recesses 46, which are equi-spaced axially along the drum 45. As shown in FIG. 4, in the case of drum 45, each drum 40, 41, 45 may comprise a pair of circular, axially bored end plates 47, which are fastened by a plurality of tie bolts 49 coaxially against shoulders 48 formed on shaft 35. The guiding grooves 46 are formed in an annulus or ring 50, opposite ends of which are seated on reduced-diameter portions 51 formed on the confronting ends of plates 47.

Secured at its lower end by a nut 53 (FIG. 1) to a stationary channel member 54 that extends transversely between opposite sides of the base 12 centrally of machine 10, and projecting vertically upwardly from member 54 midway between opposite sides of the machine, is a vertical post or shaft 56. Mounted intermediate its ends by a pair of sleeve bushings 58 for vertical movement on post 56 is an elongate, horizontally disposed channel member 60. Surrounding post 56 between member 60 and a nut 62, which is threaded on the upper end of the post, is a coiled compression spring 63. This spring is engageable at its upper end with the nut 62 and at its lower end with one of the bearings 58 resiliently to limit the movement of member 60 upwardly on the post 56.

Rotatably mounted on opposite ends of member 60 to rotate in a common plane about spaced, parallel axes that extend transverse to post 56 are two, identical, wire-guiding pulleys 65 and 66 (FIGS. 1 and 3), respectively. Each of these pulleys is secured by a bushing 67 and a nut 68 to one end of a shoulder bolt 69, which is mounted to rotate in the web portion of member 60. Member 60, which is rotatable about post 56, normally is disposed diagonally (FIG. 3) between opposite sides of the machine beneath the drums and 41, so that as viewed in FIG. 2, pulley 65 registers approximately with the one end of the drum 40, while pulley 66 registers approximately with the other end of drum 41.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 1, drum is mounted to rotate above and slightly rearwardly of drum 41, and substantially tangential to a horizontal plane which is tangential to drums 40 and 41.

Mounted at opposite ends thereof in the side rails 15 to rotate between and parallel to the drums 40 and 41 are two, spaced, parallel idler rolls 72 and 75. The peripheries of these rolls have therein axially spaced wire-guiding grooves, which are equal in number to, and which register with the corresponding wire-guiding grooves 43 and 46 in drums 40 and Mounted to travel continuously around the drums 40 and 41 and the pulleys 65 and 66 is an endless cutting wire W. This wire extends, for example, around the underside of the pulley 65, upwardly into the first groove 43 located in the left end of the drum 40, as viewed in FIG. 2, over the top of this drum, then forwardly successively over members 75, 72 and 41, then downwardly beneath drum 41, rearwardly substantially horizontally and into second groove 43 from the left end of drum 40, and then upwardly around the top of drum 40 and forwardly again over the tops of members 75, 72 and 41 through the second wire guiding grooves from the left ends of these members. The wire W continues to be wound in this manner around the drums 40 and 41 and the idler rolls 72 and 75 progressing from the left toward the right ends of drums 40 and 41 with the upper reaches or runs of the wire W being maintained in spaced, parallel relation to one another, while the lower reaches thereof are inclined slightly between drums 40 and 41 to enable the wire to be switched from a groove in drum 41 to the next successive groove in drum 40 before the wire passes again around drum 40. Finally, after the wire W passes over the last groove 43 in the right end of drum 41, the wire is passed downwardly around the outside of the pulley 66, from where it extends forwardly around the underside of pulley 65, before once again entering the first groove in the left end of drum 40. The spring 63 urges the pulley-bearing member 60 resiliently downwardly to maintain the necessary tension in wire W at all times.

Fastened at its upper, open end to rails 15 between the drums 40 and 41, and extending transversely across the machine beneath the upper reaches of the wire W, is a receptacle 80, which has spaced, parallel sidewalls 81 and 82, and inclined forward and rear walls 83 and 84, which converge to the bottom of the receptacle. Wall 81 has a rectangular discharge opening 86 in it, which registers with a discharge chute 87 that conveys sliced mushrooms away from the machine. As the result of the connection between shafts 21 and 24, the shafts 24 and 35 will be rotated simultaneously in opposite directions, so that the drum 45 is made to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 90 in FIG. 1, and the upper reaches of the wire W will travel in the direction indicated by the arrow 91 in FIG. 1, or from the left to the right in this figure.

The mushrooms M, which are to be sliced, are dumped onto a vibratory conveyor C which causes them to be disposed with their stems extending in the direction of travel of the wires W; and they are delivered from conveyor C to a V-shaped hopper 93, disposed so that the stems of the mushrooms remain parallel to the upper reaches of wire W, so that as the properly aligned or oriented mushrooms enter the hopper, the mushrooms extend through a slot in the lower end of the hopper into contact with the upper reaches of the wire W adjacent drum 40, so that as the wire advances toward drum 45, the mushrooms will be conveyed, one by one, into the nip between drum 45 and the upper reaches of the cutting wire W. As each mushroom passes beneath the rotating drum 45, it is forced thereby downwardly through the spaces between the upper reaches of wire W, thereby causing the mushrooms to be cut into individual slices each having a thickness approximatelv equal to the width between adjacent reaches of the cutting wire. These slices then drop into the receptacle 80 and eventually out of the discharge chute 87 into a container, or onto a further, lateral conveyor (not illustrated).

To aid in feeding the mushrooms into the nip between the drum 45 and the parallel reaches of the cutting wire W, it is ,preferred that the outer surface of the drum 45 between its grooves 46 be roughened.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the instant invention provides a relatively simple and compact machine for automatically and continuouslv slicing large quantities of mushrooms into uniformly thick slices, and in planes that extend parallel to the stems of the mushrooms. The two idler rolls 72 and 75 support the parallel upper reaches of the cutting wire W firmly in a horizontal plane, so that the rotating drum 45 can readily force the mushrooms down through the wires. Moreover, the roll 72 forces the upper reaches of the wire W into the registering grooves in the upper drum 45, so that the cutting wires sever completely through each mushroom. Also, the spring-loaded pulleys 65 and 66 maintain proper tension in the upper, cutting reaches of wire W at all times, and since the cutting reaches are moving toward the nip formed beneath drum 45, better cutting action is achieved.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification. For instance a single pulley might be used instead of the two pulleys 65, 66, so that the wire would travel in a generally triangular path instead of in the generally rectangular path shown in FIG. 1. Moreover, instead of one wire, obviously a plurality of wires might be employed. Furthermore, the device can be used as is or with but slight modification, obvious to anyone skilled in the art, to

slice other products such as fruits, carrots, cheese, etc. This application is intended, therefore, to cover any variations, use of adaptations of the invention that come within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: l. A slicing machine for mushrooms and the like, comprising a pair of rolls mounted in spaced, parallel relation, each having in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced grooves, an endless cutting element wound in a plurality of convolutions around each roll and extending in a common plane from one roll to the other, to provide a plurality of spaced cutting members in said plane,

a third roll mounted tangentially of said plane between said pair of rolls, whereby a nip is formed between said members and the periphery of said third roll, and

means for rotating said third roll in a direction to cause mushrooms entering said nip to be forced by said third roll through the spaces between said cutting members, to be sliced thereby.

2. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said third roll has in its periphery a plurality of axiallv spaced, circumferential grooves, and

each of said cutting members extends through one of said grooves in said third roll tangentially thereof.

3. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said element comprises a single, endless wire, which is wound continuously in successive, registering grooves in said pair of rolls commencing adjacent one end and progressing axially toward the opposite end of each roll of said pair, with alternate half turns of said wire extending around one and then the other of said pair of rolls.

4. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, including a frame,

means mounting said pair of rolls for rotation on said frame at one side of said common plane, and with their axes disposed in a second plane parallel to said common plane,

means mounting said third roll on said frame between said pair of rolls at the opposite side of said common plane, and

a fourth roll mounted adjacent said nip at said one side of said common plane for rotation in spaced, parallel relation to said pair of rolls, and having its periphery disposed in proximate tangential relation to said cutting members and said third roll to resist movement of said members out of said common plane, when mushrooms are forced between said members by said third roll.

5. A slicing machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said fourth roll has in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced, circumferential grooves which register with the grooves in said third roll, and

the bottoms of the grooves in said third and fourth rolls are disposed tangentially of said common plane.

6. A slicing machine as defined in claim 4, wherein a receptacle is mounted on said frame between said pair of rolls at said one side of said common plane, and extends beneath said nip to catch the mushrooms sliced bv said members.

7. A slicing machine for mushrooms and the like, comprising a frame,

a pair of spaced, parallel, rolls rotatably mounted on said frame with their axes of rotation disposed in a first horizontal plane,

a plurality of spaced, parallel, wire-shaped cutting elements extending between said rolls in a second horizontal plane disposed above said first plane and tangentially of the upper surfaces of said rolls,

a third roll mounted on said frame to rotate above said second plane parallel to said pair of rolls, and having its periphery disposed tangentially of said elements adjacent one of said pair of rolls to form a nip between said elements and said third roll, and

means for simultaneously advancing said elements toward said nip while rotating said third roll in a direction to cause mushrooms entering said nip to be forced by said third roll downwardly through the spaces between said elements to be sliced by the latter.

8. A slicing machine as defined in claim 7, wherein a second pair of spaced rolls is mounted to rotate parallel to said first pair beneath and tangentially of said second plane,

the rolls of one of said pairs are positioned in the space between the rolls of the other pair,

said elements are the upper reaches of an endless wire having several convolutions thereof entrained around the outsides of said other pair of rolls to form therebetween upper and lower wire reaches, respectively, and

of said wire extend from one drum to the other, and means for forcing a product to be sliced through said reaches. 12. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein 531d means mcludes dl'we means connected to said other 5 means is provided for driving said drums and for moving said pair of rolls and operable to rotate the latter in a direction to advance said upper reaches of said wire toward said nip.

9. A slicing machine as defined in claim 8, including a pair of spaced pulleys mounted on said frame beneath said rolls and having one of said wire convolutions entrained thereabout, and

resilient means interposed between said frame and said pulleys and urging said pullevs in a direction to maintain tension in said one convolution.

10. A slicing machine as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said other rolls has in its periphery a plurality of axially-spaced, circumferential grooves, and

each of said upper reaches of said wire is guided at opposite ends thereof in one of said grooves.

11. A slicing machine comprising a pair of drums having spaced parallel axes,

a pulley,

an endless wire extending from one drum to the other and around a plurality of times around each drum with the last turn on one drum running to said pulley and then to the first turn on the other drum, so that a plurality of reaches wire continuously during slicing.

13. A slicing machine comprising a pair of drums rotatable on spaced parallel axes,

a pair of pulleys mounted to rotate on spaced parallel axes inclined angularly to the axes of said drums,

an endless wire wound back and forth a plurality of times from one drum to the other to form a plurality of parallel wire reaches and then around one of the pulleys to the other pulley and extending then to said one drum,

means for driving said wire continuously, and

means for forcing a product through said plurality of reaches to cut the product into a plurality of slices.

14. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the two pulleys are mounted rotatably on a beam that in turn is mounted to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the axes of the pulleys, said two pullevs being mounted, respectivelv, at opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said beam.

15. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 14, having means for resiliently urging said beam axiallv in one direction of its pivotal axis. 

1. A slicing machine for mushrooms and the like, comprising a pair of rolls mounted in spaced, parallel relation, each having in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced grooves, an endless cutting element wound in a plurality of convolutions around each roll and extending in a common plane from one roll to the other, to provide a plurality of spaced cutting members in said plane, a third roll mounted tangentially of said plane between said pair of rolls, whereby a nip is formed between said members and the periphery of said third roll, and means for rotating said third roll in a direction to cause mushrooms entering said nip to be forced by said third roll through the spaces between said cutting members, to be sliced thereby.
 2. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said third roll has in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced, circumferential grooves, and each of said cutting members extends through one of said grooves in said third roll tangentially thereof.
 3. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said element comprises a single, endless wire, which is wound continuously in successive, registering grooves in said pair of rolls commencing adjacent one end and progressing axially toward the opposite end of each roll of said pair, with alternate half turns of said wire extending around one and then the other of said pair of rolls.
 4. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, including a frame, means mounting said pair of rolls for rotation on said frame at one side of said common plane, and with their axes disposed in a second plane parallel to said common plane, means mounting said third roll on said frame between said pair of rolls at the opposite side of said common plane, and a fourth roll mounted adjacent said nip at said one side of said common plane for rotation in spaced, parallel relation to said pair of rolls, and having its periphery disposed in proximate tangential relation to said cutting members and said third roll to resist movement of said members out of said common plane, when mushrooms are forced between said members by said third roll.
 5. A slicing machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said fourth roll has in its periphery a plurality of axially spaced, circumferential grooves which register with the grooves in said third roll, and the bottoms of the grooves in said third and fourth rolls are disposed tangentially of said common plane.
 6. A slicing machine as defined in claim 4, wherein a receptacle is mounted on said frame between said pair of rolls at said one side of said common plane, and extends beneath said nip to catch the mushrooms sliced by said members.
 7. A slicing machine for mushrooms and the like, comprising a frame, a pair of spaced, parallel, rolls rotatably mounted on said frame with their axes of rotation disposed in a first horizontal plane, a plurality of spaced, parallel, wire-shaped cutting elements extending between saId rolls in a second horizontal plane disposed above said first plane and tangentially of the upper surfaces of said rolls, a third roll mounted on said frame to rotate above said second plane parallel to said pair of rolls, and having its periphery disposed tangentially of said elements adjacent one of said pair of rolls to form a nip between said elements and said third roll, and means for simultaneously advancing said elements toward said nip while rotating said third roll in a direction to cause mushrooms entering said nip to be forced by said third roll downwardly through the spaces between said elements to be sliced by the latter.
 8. A slicing machine as defined in claim 7, wherein a second pair of spaced rolls is mounted to rotate parallel to said first pair beneath and tangentially of said second plane, the rolls of one of said pairs are positioned in the space between the rolls of the other pair, said elements are the upper reaches of an endless wire having several convolutions thereof entrained around the outsides of said other pair of rolls to form therebetween upper and lower wire reaches, respectively, and said means includes drive means connected to said other pair of rolls and operable to rotate the latter in a direction to advance said upper reaches of said wire toward said nip.
 9. A slicing machine as defined in claim 8, including a pair of spaced pulleys mounted on said frame beneath said rolls and having one of said wire convolutions entrained thereabout, and resilient means interposed between said frame and said pulleys and urging said pulleys in a direction to maintain tension in said one convolution.
 10. A slicing machine as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said other rolls has in its periphery a plurality of axially-spaced, circumferential grooves, and each of said upper reaches of said wire is guided at opposite ends thereof in one of said grooves.
 11. A slicing machine comprising a pair of drums having spaced parallel axes, a pulley, an endless wire extending from one drum to the other and around a plurality of times around each drum with the last turn on one drum running to said pulley and then to the first turn on the other drum, so that a plurality of reaches of said wire extend from one drum to the other, and means for forcing a product to be sliced through said reaches.
 12. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein means is provided for driving said drums and for moving said wire continuously during slicing.
 13. A slicing machine comprising a pair of drums rotatable on spaced parallel axes, a pair of pulleys mounted to rotate on spaced parallel axes inclined angularly to the axes of said drums, an endless wire wound back and forth a plurality of times from one drum to the other to form a plurality of parallel wire reaches and then around one of the pulleys to the other pulley and extending then to said one drum, means for driving said wire continuously, and means for forcing a product through said plurality of reaches to cut the product into a plurality of slices.
 14. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the two pulleys are mounted rotatably on a beam that in turn is mounted to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the axes of the pulleys, said two pulleys being mounted, respectively, at opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said beam.
 15. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 14, having means for resiliently urging said beam axially in one direction of its pivotal axis. 